Syria: Air defenses down missiles from Israeli warplanes

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian air defenses opened fire Tuesday night on missiles launched from Israeli warplanes on the central province of Homs, shooting down some of them, state media said.

State TV said the warplanes fired the missiles while flying in Lebanese airspace. The outlet said the warplanes targeted a Syrian army position without saying where exactly. It added that some of the missiles were shot down.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said Israeli warplanes fired eight missiles at the Shayrat air base in Homs province. It gave no further details.

Residents of the Lebanese capital Beirut heard the sound of warplanes in the air shortly before the airstrikes were reported.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

Last month, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a car in southern Syria, killing one person. Opposition activists said at the time that the man targeted was an anti-Israel operative.

In recent years, Israel has repeatedly carried out airstrikes in Syria against targets belonging to Iran and its regional proxies.

One airstrike in February killed two members of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, which is backed by Iran.